For further details and tickets

• The 2011 Lake System Health Monitoring Program Year End Report contains details of the monitoring program and the 2011 Data Report provides data for each lake monitored. Both reports are available at the District Municipality of Muskoka website.
• Lake Data Sheets for specific lakes can be downloaded from the Muskoka Water website.

Any questions about the Lake System Health monitoring program may be directed to Rebecca Willison, Watershed Planning Technician, District Municipality of Muskoka,  by phone at 705-645-7393 x203 or by email at rwillison@muskoka.on.ca

          . . . check out the Newsletter for all the 2012 programmes sponsored by the Baysville Friends of the Library and mark your calendars . .

 On February 21, 2012, the Council of the Township of Lake of Bays passed an amendment (12-014) to the Development Permit By-law (04-180) that applies specifically to lands located within the “Waterfront” designation. The purpose of this amendment is to provide clarification of the Development Permit By-law as follows:

i)                    Accessory structures (i.e. sleeping cabins, sheds, garages) are permitted to be located in front of a dwelling provided that they do not encroach in the required shoreline yard setback.;

ii)                  Structures less than 50 square feet (i.e. bear bins, mail boxes) are permitted to be located anywhere on your property except the shoreline yard, with the exception of generators. Generators are considered part of the built structure and must conform to the required setback from the side and rear lot lines. This restriction on the placement of generators does not apply to small portable generators and is not retroactive to generators that were installed prior to the February 21, 2012. The placement of generators is to address concerns about noise. Note: Property owners are advised that air cooled generators are far noisier than water cooled generators and the latter are encouraged for the purpose of noise abatement.

iii)                Clarification of existing boathouse/boatport provisions. The updated wording, which clarifies the maximum size of boathouses also pertains to boatports. In addition, for those existing vacant lots found on Bigwin Island, the Department of Ocean’s and Fisheries (DFO) will no longer be required to review the proposed locations of boathouses and docks provided they follow the DFO’s Standard Operational Guidelines and the applicable Township’s guidelines.

As a result of recent changes to the Development Permit By-law, staff and members of the public had expressed concerns related to restricting the location of accessory structures in front of a dwelling where the dwelling was situated beyond the required shoreline yard setback. In addition, certain other provisions required clarification. These Township Initiated Amendments (No. 5) to the Development Permit By-law are generally supported through the “Background By-law Discussion Papers” as well as those applicable Official Plan policies.

The Development Permit By-law is available for viewing on the Township of Lake of Bays website: www.lakeofbays.on.ca.